Ban Nam Khem, a poor fishing village hemmed in by expensive tourist resorts on the Thai coast, wasn't missed by the devastating tsunami waves, but its people complained that aid efforts are bypassing them.

No, it's not a 3-D creature feature: A Houston movie theater one that was showing "Anacondas" among other films has shut down while workers hunt for an 8-foot snake. A maintenance worker said he saw a snake about a week ago that was thick as a man's arm slithering along a wall, said Terrell Falk, a spokeswoman for Cinemark USA Inc.

Dressed in a tuxedo, Simba sat at the front of one of Manhattan's newest dining establishments and nodded at people who greeted him. Then he yawned, began to roll on the floor and lick his paws. That's acceptable behavior at the Meow Mix Cafe, a new eatery designed especially for cats and their human owners.

Hundreds of imperiled species around the world from a tiny opossum to a radiant blue bird lack protection from human encroachment despite the vast amount of land set aside for conservation, a new study warns.

Hong Kong is pure energy, an epicenter of east meets west. Incredibly orderly, amazingly litter-free and impossibly packed, its skyscrapers stretch tall and thin from terraced slopes. Its waterfront bustles and flows out to numerous beaches, island restaurants, and across the bay to Kowloon and the suburban "New Territories" that are growing up with clusters of skyscrapers amid the traditional villages.

The Year of the Monkey (Lunar Year 4702) starts Jan. 22, officially known as Chinese New Year Day. According to a Chinese proverb, it's a time when all creations are reborn. "This year, visit places in the USA that have special meaning for Chinese Americans," says Christine Chen, executive director of the Organization of Chinese-Americans. Here, she shares with USA TODAY's Shawn Sell essential sites for ringing in the new year.

At last count, there were 3,382 "table service" (as opposed to fast food) restaurants in San Francisco, meaning you could likely dine out at a different place every night for more than nine years and not repeat yourself.